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Actor Anton Yelchin Dead at 27

Entertainment

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The Star Trek star passed away on Sunday morning after he was pinned in between his car and a brick mailbox at his San Fernando Valley home in California.

“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning,” a statement from his publicist to Us Weekly magazine reads. “His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”

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According to TMZ, the 27-year-old was supposed to meet friends for a rehearsal and they became concerned after he failed to show up. They went to his home and found his body. However, it is not clear how he became trapped or why he exited the vehicle.

Police officers reportedly do not suspect foul play, but they have told the publication his car was running and in neutral when they found him. The driveway was also on a steep incline.

Yelchin began acting as a child at the age of nine in independent film A Man is Mostly Water. In 2000, he appeared in TV series ER and went on to star in several TV shows and movies, including Along Came a Spider, The Practice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fright Night, Terminator Salvation, and Alpha Dog.

The late actor was feted for his performance in 2001’s Hearts in Atlantis with a Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor at the 2002 Young Artist Awards. He also won a Boston Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Ensemble Cast for Star Trek in 2009.

Paying tribute to Yelchin, Anna Kendrick tweeted: “This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss,” while director Guillermo del Toro adds, “Anton was a sweetheart. Absolutely a great creative partner and artist.”

“I loved Anton Yelchin so much,” his Star Trek co-star John Cho adds. “He was a true artist – curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal… I’m in ruins.”